AU626864B2 - Bird deterrent device - Google Patents

Description

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A42A68 6g'4 Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION 6 9 9 J, Al

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6' $007743 Applicant: EPNEST LEONARD BLAI(ELEY Address 4/60 Murdock Street, Cremorne New South Wales, Australia .Address for Service-, Chrysiliou Moore Chtysiliou P.O. Box 373 Collaroy Beach NSW 2097 complete specification for an Invention entitled: "BIRD DETERRENT DEVICE" The following staitement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it k~nown to me: 6 0 5 C -2- This invention relates to a bird deterrent device; in particular, this invention provides a device which is useful in deterring birds from perching or roosting on moored boats and the like. However, it will be apparent from the explanation herein that the device of the invention has a wide application.

Birds are regarded as pests in many situations. In the case of moored boats, many large birds, especially seagulls, habitually alight on the cabin, deck or other flat surface 10 and leave excrement and feathers behind. In addition, the birds can introduce lice to the boat and can pose a health problem.

On land, birds are well known for attacking plants, especially plants bearing fruit, and are capable of causing substantial damage.

There have been many attempts to keep birds away from particular environments. Nets can be used to protect a boat I or orchard, for example, from birds; however, nets are relatively costly, time and effort are involved in using, locating and removing them, they require regular inspection and maintenance and they are subject to deterioration.

SQuite ingenious attempts have been made to deter birds from perching on boats. These include, for example, wooden cut-out painted as fierce hawks and hung from the shrouds, brightly-coloured streamers strung from the boat, and even a 1.

-3tape recording of the cry of a predator, played at intervals from the boat. Although these prior art attempts may have succeeded at first, the problem is that the deterrent effect diminishes after a short while, as the birds become accustomed to the presence of the deterrent and find that it does not pose any real threat.

Other prior art attempts to deter birds have included the provision of sound waves or electric impulses and devices which emit loud noises. The problem with these is they require an external power supply and they are not regarded as economical.

In orchards, bird scarers comprising reflective sheets designed to flutter or rotate in the slightest breeze have been relatively effective. However, these are intended to be e 15 hung from trees and are not well-suited to low-growing crops or for use on moored boats.

It is an aim of the present invention to substantially alleviate the above disadvantages, and to provide a bird deterrent device which is both effective and economical, and which is also convenient to use, especially on moored boats.

Accordingly, this invention provides a bird deterrent device which comprises a number of flexible vanes each adapted to be mounted by one end thereof in a base, and means for permitting the other end of each vane to vibrate or U oscillate in spaced relationship from said base and from S each other, the flexible vanes being sufficient in number 7E k '1 -4and being configured so that an average sized bird (of the species to be deterred) cannot alight between the vanes without one of the vanes touching the bird's wing when in the alighting position.

In the device of the invention, the vanes are caused to move in a random pattern in light breezes, or as a result of wave motion when the device is on a moored boat. The movement of the vanes deters birds from attempting to alight on the area in the region of the device.

In one preferred embodiment, the device of this invention includes a base with means for fixing the base to a flat surface, such as a deck or the roof of a boat cabin.

Alternately, the base may be constructed in such a manner as to provide a stable support for the device of the invention 15 for example, by weighting the base or providing it with a large flat support, or by providing other stabilising means, In another preferred embodiment, the base does not form part of the device, but is permanently embedded in or located on a surface of the environment in which the device is to operate. For example, the base may form part of the deck or i roof of the cabin of a boat, or may be located among low-growing crops. When the boat is moored or the crops are fruiting, the device is simply transported to the base and mounted therein. The vanes of the device may be constructed of any suitable material, bearing in mind that the vanes must be not only 4- 7L :V 0e *n I 6 *0 S 0O

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In addition, the vanes should be made of durable material because one of the aims of the invention is to produce a device which weathers well and which is long-lasting.

Preferably, the vanes comprise long flex 4 .ble rods made of a suitable plastic material.

It will be apparent that the means which allow vibration or oscillation of the vanes in spaced relationship from the 10 base may assume various forms. One that is particularly preferred is a nylon cord loop, connected to each of the vanes by suitable means, and designed to permit the vanes to spill out over the base, as illustrated in the Example (below). The connecting means may consist of a number of grommets or similar rings attached to the nylon cord loop, each adapted to receive and hold a vane. It is particularly preferred that the connecting means frictionally engages the vanes, so that area over which the vanes spill out may be adjusted to suit the environment.

The means exemplified by the nylon cord loop has the added advantage that tangling of the vanes is minimised.

In ancther preferred version of the invention, the device may be collapsed when not in use, and may be stored in a manigeable configuration. FoL example, when the vanes comprise long flexible rods spaced from the base by a nylon cord loop, as discussed above, the rods may be aligned and

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4 Ilj: -u -6the ends tied together for storage. Optionally, where the base forms part of the device, the rods may be removed from the base and stored separately from the base.

The invention will now be described with reference to a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, which are not, however, to be interpreted as limiting on the scope of the invention. The device in the Drawings is intended for use on a moored boat, to deter seagulls from roosting on the roof of the boat cabin.

0 10 In the Drawings, Fig 1 represents a side elevation of the preferred *e embodiment, while Fig 2 is a plan view of the device.

06o In Figs 1 and 2, the device 1 consists of a number of vanes 2 secured in a base 3 by means of sleeve 4. For ease of illustration, vanes 2a have been omitted from Fig 1, but are included in Fig. 2.

e I Vanes 2 are thin, flexible plastic rods of about 5 mm diameter and measure about 3 metres in length. The vanes are arranged so that their free tips 5 are spaced approximately 1 metre from each other. This distance varies as the vane tips oscillate. The purpose of this spacing is as follows: it has been observed that when a seagull of average size is about to alight on a surface, the distance between its wingtips is more than 450 mm. A seagull does not tend to

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r I~2lbll~UI~O ~U.IP~;i.i?;-uulru-~l;il-- -i 4r -7alight if anything touches either of its wings; consequently, as the vanes move with the rocking motion of the boat or in a breeze, the spacing will deter not only seagulls of average size (and, of course, larger birds), but also seagulls of less than average size.

Obviously, the 'spacing of the vanes can be changed, depending on the size of bird to be deterred. In addition, the length of the vanes may be changed, depending on the oS 0S area to be protected from birds. However, the vanes should o6 not be so long that tips 5 touch the surface below, because this would impede the ability of the vanes to oscillate.

Nylon cord loop 6 with connectors 7 is shown in Fig 2, but is omitted from Fig for ease of illustration. Loop 6 loosely holds vanes 2 in the configuration shown but does not impede the vibration and oscillation of the vanes.

Connectors 7 are nylon sleeves which frictionally engage vanes 2. If it is desired to make minor changes to the area see# covered by the device, connectors 7 may be pushed along vanes 2. Moving connectors 7 towards tips 5 Will lift the vanes 2 above base 3 and reduce the area protected by the vanes. Conversely, sliding connectors 7 along vanes 2 towards base 3 will permit vanes 2 to spread out further and will increase the area covered by the vanes.

To secure device 1 to the roof of the boat cabin, base 3 has screw holes 8 for fixing the base to the roof. If desired, -8sleeve 4 can be permanently attached to base 3, in which case the base must be unscrewed from the roof of the boat cabin when not in use.

Alternately, sleeve 4 can be made demountable from base 3, which can remain on the cabin roof.

In either case, to remove the device of the invention from the roof and store it in the boat while the boat is in use, it is a simple matter to align and straighten vanes 2, tie tips 5 together even by sliding connectors 7 almost to the 10 ends of vanes 2, near tips 5, and stow the demounted device on the deck or in the cabin of the boat.

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Claims (10)

1. A bird deterrent device which comprises a number of flexible vanes each adapted to be mounted by one end thereof in a base, and means for permitting the other end of each vane to vibrate or oscillate in spaced relationship from said base and from each other, the flexible vanes being sufficient in number and being configured so that an average sized bird (of the species to be deterred) cannot alight between the vanes without one of the vanes touching the bird's wing -when in the alighting position.

2. A bird deterrent device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base includes stabilising means.

3. A bird deterrent device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base includes means for fixing the base to a 15 flat surface,

4. A bird deterrent device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the base does not form part of the device, but is permanently embedded in or located on a surface of the environment in which the device is to operate.

5. A bird deterrent device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vanes comprise long flexible rods made of a suitable plastic material.

6. A bird deterrent device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the means for permitting the other end of I s fa. 4 c .0 0 0 .00:6, a 0 *0 .0 0 :0 t o. 00 0* 0* *0; *0* *000 each vane to oscillate in spaced relationship from the base and each other comprise a nylon cord loop connected to each vane and designed to permit the vanes to spill out over the base.

7. A bird deterrent device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the loop is connected to each vane by a grommet or ring attached to the loop and adapted to receive and hold a vane.

8. A bird deterrent device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each grommet or ring frictionally engages a vane.

9. A bird deterrent device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the device is collapsible for storage.

10. A bird deterrent device as claimed in claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to the Drawings. Dated this 7th day of April, 1992 ERNEST LEONARD BLAKELEY By his Patent Attorney KERRY MOORE CHRYSILIOU of CHRYSILIOU MOORE CHRYSILIOU i S* 0 *0 S* 0